Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Trump Promotes Historic School Choice Expansion and Parental Control
President Donald Trump wants parents to have more control over their children’s education.
He promoted a new tax credit that helps nonprofit groups provide education scholarships.
These scholarships can pay for tuition, books and other school costs.
They can be used at public, private or religious schools.
The law also lets families use more money from 529 savings accounts for school expenses.
For the first time, those accounts can support homeschooling, according to Trump.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said more than 50 million children could be eligible.
The administration also says it is moving education decisions from Washington to states, schools and families.
Donald Trump promoted what he called the largest expansion of school choice in American history.
The Education Freedom Tax Credit provides up to $1,700 for donations funding education scholarships.
Scholarships can support tuition, books and other costs at public, private or religious schools.
The law doubled the annual 529 withdrawal limit for kindergarten-through-Grade-12 expenses to $20,000 and expanded eligible uses.
Linda McMahon said six states had received waivers freeing more than $100 million from federal controls.
- Who
- US President Donald Trump, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and families, educators and students.
- What
- The Trump administration promoted school-choice tax credits, expanded 529 education savings uses and greater state and local control of education.
- When
- The measure was signed on July 4, 2025; Trump discussed it at a back-to-school event on Monday.
- Where
- The announcement took place in the White House Rose Garden in Washington.
- Why
- The administration says the changes will give parents more educational choice and reduce federal control over schools.
- Education Freedom Tax Credit
- Provides a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to nonprofit scholarship organizations.
- Eligible scholarship uses
- Tuition, books and other basic educational costs at public, private or religious elementary and secondary schools.
- 529 account limit
- The annual withdrawal limit for kindergarten-through-Grade-12 expenses was doubled to $20,000.
- Homeschooling
- The law expanded 529 account use to private, religious and homeschool education.
- Potential reach
- Linda McMahon said more than 50 million children are eligible for the tax credit.
- State waivers
- Six states received waivers that McMahon said freed more than $100 million from federal controls.
- Federal requirements
- McMahon said 25 states were using existing authority to reduce federal requirements for thousands of school districts.